Coal pusher for locomotive tenders



Feb. 18, 1930. HOGG 1,747,899

COAL PUSHER FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS Filed. 001;. 5, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 O'O an INVENTOR la d/1w 9/0 5%] M A TTORN E Y Feb. 18, 1930. i-i

goAL rusnmi FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS' Filed Oct- 192s s Shets-Sheet 2 F nyvEm'oR Y ATTORNEY Feb. 18, 1930. F. HOGG 1,747,899

COAL PUSHER FOB LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS Filed Oct. 3. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR BY W A TTORNE Y Patented Feb. 18; 1930' UN ED STATES PATENT oFFicE 'EBANCIS'I-IOGG, oEE IE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD STOKER ooM- PANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE COAL PU SHER FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS Application filed October 3, 1928. Serial No. 309,912.

The invention relatesto power operated appliance'sknown as coal pushers for pushing coal from the rear to'the forward portion of the coal bin of a locomotive tender'in orderto place it within convenient reach of the fireman. More specifically, the invention appertains to an improvement in the motor and in its means of operation for actuating the coal pusher, and isan improvement on existing devices of thecharacter shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,404,983, issued to Nathan M. Lower on date of January 31,

In apparatus of this type it has been usual practice to provide a motor having a steam or spring actuated distributing valve for di- 7 recting the flow of steam into the motor cylinder and an additional manually controlled valve was employed for regulating the passage of steam from the source ofsupply to fthe distributing valve. 'This distributing valve is not positive in its movement and has been found troublesome due tobreakage of its parts and in its failure to function properly at all times, under all conditions.

The coal pushers are installed to a large extent in locomotive tenders in railroad passenger train service which makes itboth important and essential that the pusher should be positive in operation, regardless of the attention or inspection given to it or the climatic conditions affecting it, in order that no delay will occur in the running time of the train. To this end this invention consists in providing a manually and spring actuated valve separated from; and for' operating and I controlling, the, pusher actuating motor and one which may be applied in any suitable position on the locomotive 'tender.

'Itis'the principal object of the invention :to, provide in such an appliance as herein de- .scribed, an" improved motor and positive means for controlling the motor.

- A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention' is hereinafter described and is illustratedin the accompanying drawings,in

' rwhich Y 'Fig. lis a detail central vertical section of 'the tender with the improved coal pusher applied thereto; some portions of the coal pusher being broken away;

F 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure.

Fig. 3 is an enlargeddiagrammatical view of the motor and with the operating valve shown in vertical'section, and

' Fig. 4: is a similar view with the operating valve in a position to control the backstroke of the motor piston.

Referring descriptively to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the coal pushing device, generally indicated at A, is secured through its housing member 10 by any suitable connection, such as by bolts or rivets to the slopingrear wall or back slope sheet 11 of the tender, indicated as a whole at 12, which comprises the fuel bin 13 and the water compartment 14, thetwo being separated by suitable walls'or sheets as'shown and being of well known construction. The pusher heads or pushing members are shown as two in number and indicated respectively by the numerals 15 and 16, said pusher heads are articulated together by means of connecting rods or bars 17 and they are adapted to reciprocate over a contour or wearing plate 18 which covers the slope sheet 11 and the floor 19 of the tender. The rear pusher head or cross head 15 reciprocates over the slope sheet 11 and the forward head principally over the floor 19, the function of both being to loosen and push the fuel forward toward the coal gate 20 of the tender. The pusher head 15 is connected by means of a rod 21 with the piston head 22 of a reciprocating motor, generally indicated as at 23, located at the upwardend of the back slope sheet 11 and which is detachably secured to the rearward face of the housing 10, its axis being parallel with the slopesheet. I

I The motor 23 comprises in addition to the piston head 22, a-ported cylinder 24 and a correspondingly ported removable cylinder head 25, motion being imparted to the motor by a fluid, preferably steam, the passage of which from the locomotive boiler or any other suitable source of supply is controlled by a valve mechanism, generally indicated as at 26, which is desirably though not necessarily able height above the floor. and which is provided with a liftinghandle 29 or if preferred a lever arm handle of any known construction. That portion of the valve rod which extends above the floor ofthe tender is protected by a sleeve 30 which is securely held to the side or bulkhead of the tender.

This valve mechanism includes as best shown in the enlarged section of Figures 3 and 4, a body or casing 31 and a valve 32 mounted to reciprocate therein under the control of the valve rod 28 which isconnected to the valve and extends forwardly or upwardly therefrom through a packing box or cover 33, held to the casing-31, and which forms a stop for the valve in its movement in that direction; and the valve movement in the opposite direction is stopped by the annular seat 34 at the lower and open end of the casing 31. 1

' The valve mechanism further includes or has associated therewith, a resilient spring '35 which acts'to resist upward movement of the valve and which will'aut-oinatically return the'va-lve to its downward or lowest position whenever the uplifting force has been relieved, and is disposed in a compressed position on the valve rod, above the valve and preferably externally of the casing. Said spring is held in proper position and compressed on the rod by a bracket 36 through which the valve rod passes and which is secured in any manner to a suitable part of the tender. The compression of the spring can be variably adjusted by changing the location of the bracket 36 or by the adjusting nut 37 in threaded engagementwith the valve rod.

Steam from the locomotive boiler is supplied by a pipe 38 to the operating and con-' trolling valvemechanism 26 through which it passes in a manner hereinafter described more'in detail, to the motor through the pipes 39 and 40 which serve alternately as both intake and exhaust lines to their respective sides of the motor piston. Generally speaking, the upward motion of-the valve, in these drawings, functions to control the backward or upstroke of the pusher heads, and the downward motion of the valve controls the forward or fuel advancing stroke of the pusher.

The cylinder head 25 has two tapped openings 41 and 42 to receive pipes 39 and 40 respectively. The opening 41 communicates with a cored passage 43 which in turn communicates with a correspondingly located cylinder port 44, which opens into the cylopening into the cylinder at a point a short distance from its housingend. An intake port 49, 49 communicates with the pipe 40 der port 50 which opens into the cylinder at steaminlet port closes by gravity or by pres-v sure of steam attempting to exhaust through the passage. 7 V V In the operation of the pusher, when the valve is in the position shown in Figure3, steam from the supply pipe 38 passes through and port 47 and which in turn directs the passage of steam into a corresponding cylinits extreme housing end; The ball 51 of this the annular port 52 about'the valve 32 to the pipe 39 from which steam enters the left hand end of the cylinder through the port 43, raising the ball 46 and passes into'the cylinder through the port 45, 45 the expansion of the steam moving the piston toward the op posite or housing end ofthe cylinder. As the piston moves by and opens the cylinder port 44, an additional supply of steam enters the cylinder to assist the movement of the piston; While the piston is making this movement, the steam in the cylinder ahead of the piston exhausts through the cylinder port 48, the head port 47, the pipe 40 and into the atmosphere through the tubular opening 53 of the operating valvel; As the piston approaches its position shown in Figure 3-, itcloses the port 48 trapp'ing the exhaust steam in the remaining portion of the cylinder which cannot escape through the port 50 due to the pressure of the exhauststeam seating the ball 51, therefore, an effective cushion is provided for the piston at the end of its stroke. This movement of the piston places the pusher head in the forwardor normal positionas shown in Figures 1 and 2.

By raising the operating valve to the position as shown in Figure 4, the steam from the supply line 38 is directed by the valve 32 tothe pipe 40 through which the steam passes into the head port 4?, raising the ball 51 and passing into the cylinder through the com.- municating ports 49, 49 and 50, thus moving the piston toward the left hand end of the cylinder. Inthis movement of the piston the steam exhausting from the cylinder passes through theports 44, 43 and the pipe 39, be

low the end of the operating valve tofthe atmo'sphere. A cushion is provided for the piston as it approaches the end of its stroke by reason ofits closing the port 44 and the pressure of the trapped steam seating the ball 46. In this backward movement of the motor piston, the pusher headsare moved rearward and upward from their position shown.

, I After the backward stroke of the pusheris completed, the fireman by releasing his grasp upon the valve handle 29 permits the action of the resilient spring 35 to automatically return the valve to its downward and normal position, wh ch pos tion of the valve as here-- tofore described, Wlll' return the piston and a the pusher heads to the forward position,

, pushing heads in the lowest position between operationsof the pusher, preferably however,

'a more economical operation can be obtained by shutting off the supply of steam to the motor by closing a valve, not shown, which is ordinarily provided in the supply line 38 at a point in the locomotive cab within reach-of the fireman. p By the arrangement described, the motor piston is normally held at the lower end of the cylinder and consequently thepusher heads at the end of their down stroke. When the fireman desires to advance coal within the bin he raises the operating valve by grasping the extension handle and lifting the valve rod, thereupon instantly admitting steam to the forward face or housing side of the piston,

thereby causing the back strokeof the piston and pusher heads, which has the-effect of loosening the fuel as the pusher heads rise in the a coal bin. After theback stroke has been completed, the fireman by releasing'his grasp upon the handle'permits the spring to automatically return the valve to its lowest and normal position, and consequently the piston of-the motor and the pusher heads 15 and 16 will make the forward or down stroke to the position shown in the drawings, causing the fuel to be advanced in the bin. The motor is therefore of the single stroke type, each comrecognized that I have-provided a single manually and spring actuated valve which positively controls the movement of the pusher actuating motor; and have also provided a cushion chamber at each end of the motor a cylinder to prevent breakageof the motor sively installed on existing'pushers to improve their operation.

' r I claim l. The combination with a locomotive tender having a fuel bin, of a reciprocable pusher for moving the fuel to the forward end of the bin, a pressure fluid motor for actuating the pusher, and a single manually and spring actuated valve for distributing the pressure-fluid to said motor and for controlling said motor.

2. The combination with a locomotive tender having a fuel bin, of a reciprocable pusher for moving the fuel to the forward end of the bin, a pressure fluid motor for actuating the pusher and a single manually and spring actuated valve for distributing the pressure fluid to said motor and for controlling said motor, said valve being manually actuated in one movement and spring actuated in the other.

3. The combination with a locomotive:

tender having a fuel bin, of a reciprocable pusher for moving the fuel to the forward end of the bin, a motor for actuating the pusher and a valve for controlling the motor,

said valve manually operated for controlling the rearward reciprocation of the pusher and automatically spring operated for controlling the fuel'advancing reciprocation of the pusher.

4. The combination of a locomotive tender having a fuel bin, of a reciprocable pusher for moving the fuel to the forward end having a fuel bin, of a reciprocable pusher for moving the fuel to the forward end of the bin, a motor for actuating the pusher,

said motor including a ported cylinder and a detachable ported cylinder head therefor having its ports communicating with the ports of said cylinder, valve mechanism mounted on the tender independent of, and for controlling the motor, a pair of passages connecting the cylinder head with the valve mechanism, said valve mechanism comprising a casing communicating with the passages, and a valve mounted to move longitudinally in the casing for controlling the flow of steam into said passages.

6. The combination of a locomotive tender having a fuel bin, of a reciprocable pusher for moving the fuel to the forward end of the bin, a motor for actuating the pusher, said motor including a ported cylinder and a detachable ported cylinder head therefor having its ports in communication with the ports of said cylinder, valve mecha- 'nism mounted on the tender independent of,

and for controlling the motor,.a pairiof pas sages connecting the cylinder head with the valve mechanism, each of said passages being in communication with separate ports in the cylinder head, each of said ports havin an exhaust passage and an intake passage leading therefrom to its respective end of said cylinder, and a valve opening in one direction only in each of said intake passages for preventing the flow of exhaust steam through said passage.

7. The combination of a locomotive tender having a fuel bin, of a reciprocable pusher for moving the fuel to the forward end of the bin, a motor for actuating the pusher,

said motor including a ported cylinder, a piston adapted to reciprocate therein, and

:a detachable ported cylinder head having its ports in communication. with the ports of said cylinder, valve mechanism mounted on the tender independent of, and for controlling the motor, a pair of passages serving alternately as intake and exhaust passages connecting the cylinder head with. the valve mechanism, each of said passages being in direct communication with separate ports in the cylinder head, each of said ports having an exhaust passage and an intake passage.

leading therefrom to its respectiveend of said cylinder, said exhaust passage from 7 each cylinder head port opening into its respective end of the'cylinder adistance from the cylinder facenot greater than the thickness of the motor piston to provide a cushion chamber at each end of the cylinder when said exhaust passage 1s closed by the piston, and a valve in each of said intake passages for preventing the exhaust of steam from.

said cushion chamber.

8. As an article of manufacture, a cylinder head for a reciprocatingmotor, comprising a pair of independent ports adapted to serve alternately as intake and exhaust ports from amotor cylinder, each port having a tapped opening adapted to receive a steam supply pipe, ,each of said ports having an exhaust passage and an intake passage leading therefrom and opening into the faceof the cylinder head, and a one way valve in each of said intake ports.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

FRANCIS HOGG. 

